Donald Trump Gives Thumbs Up As ‘Fox & Friends’ & New York Times Make Nice

It is rare that denizens of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire have ever anything nice to say about The New York Times, but that’s exactly what happened this morning on Fox & Friends – and visa versa. Adding to the rare good vibes between the outlets, Donald Trump gave the love-in his presidential seal of approval too.

The White House watched as the top0rated Fox News Channel morning show unveiled to its viewers today the full-page ad that it took out in the Gray Lady on Wednesday with a line lifted from NYT itself. Check out this clip of the ad being shown on F&F this morning:

Now, the line calling the long-running AMer co-hosted by Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade and now Ainsley Earhardt “the most powerful TV show in America” comes from a penetrating and sometimes critical July 19 analysis of Fox & Friends by the paper’s chief TV critic James Poniewozik. That context and past dust-ups aside, with its influence soaring, the 6 AM-starting Fox & Friends and its top fan took the compliment, literally:

Not that NYT didn’t play ball too, with a bit of vinegar and CEO Mark Thompson telling an earnings call Thursday that F&F “decided to move upmarket.” He added more gracefully, “We’re pleased to have them.”

Having said that, the full-page ad also appeared in the Murdoch-owned New York Post this morning, keeping it with the family not just new friends, so to speak.